| Description | Volume_Issue | Year | Month | PDF |
| Today we address a federal court case that determined that money paid for sick leave buy-back counts in the calculation of regular rate; we also discuss a sex-discrimination case related to two female firefighters (battalion chiefs) being denied adequate protective clothing and adequate bathroom and shower facilities; we then consider adverse employment actions against
an employee who exercises First Amendment rights, and much more.
| 06-05 | 2006 | 5 | v06n05may2006.pdf |
| Here we look at other legislative changes in 2004, particularly an amendment to RCW 39.34; an important case involving liability to contractors under the public works laws; an important OPMA case involving whether final actions that comply with the OPMA are invalid based on a previous violation of the Act; and finally, we consider the tests Washington courts have applied to see that a particular employee is in an “on call” status for purposes of the Washington Minimum Wage Act. | 05-01 | 2005 | 1 | v05n01jan2005.pdf |
| Today the Firehouse Lawyer discusses the Intra-State Building Safety Mutual Aid System, a statute unheard of in the fire service, which may provide another revenue-building tool for fire districts, if certain legislative fixes are made; we also consider the implications of government officials receiving gifts; a new Washington senate bill that amends RCW 39.34.030, and consequently, aspects of the public bid laws; whether call logs are public records, or whether requests for electronic copies of files that are not backed up are proper public records requests; and finally, we talk about whether your policies should properly designate “peer support group counselors,” such that any confidences revealed to them during treatment may not be inquired into in a court of law. | 13-06 | 2015 | 6 | June_2015_FINAL.pdf |
| The Washington State Auditor recently issued guidance on what is called "piggybacking," an exception to the general rule of formal bidding which is used by many of our municipal clients when making purchases; we also discuss the "deliberative process exemption" under the Public Records Act. | 16-08 | 2018 | 8 | August2018.pdf |
| Because the wildfire season is essentially here, we thought it would be appropriate to discuss "abatement" costs and whether certain fire departments may recoup those costs; furthermore, we consider HIPAA, legislative changes pertaining to piggybacking, the "buddy system" under the safety regulations, a case involving the public disclosure rules, off-duty misconduct, and affirmative action. | 17-05 | 2019 | 5 | May2019FINAL.pdf |
| This issue focuses on cooperative purchasing, a recognized exception to the bid laws. We also consider an important case pertaining to the mask mandate and the non-delegation of rulemaking (legislative) authority. | 20-08 | 2022 | 8 | August2022FINAL.pdf |
| We now consider the implications of the Washington COVID State of Emergency ending October 31, 2022 and issues pertaining to the OPMA and reinstatement issues resulting from that termination. We also discuss piggybacking and a case concerning delegation. | 20-10 | 2022 | 10 | October2022FINAL.pdf |